by Mitchell Skelton

The parents of a ten-year-old public school boy who was failing fifth grade math decided to enroll their son in a private Christian school after exhausting all methods. The young boy stormed home the first day of school, walked right past his parents, charged straight to his room, and locked the door. Two hours later, he surfaced for a quick meal, announced that he was studying, and went straight back to his studies until bedtime. This pattern continued until the end of the first quarter. After school, the boy walked home with his report card, dropped the envelope on the family dinner table, and went straight to his room. His parents cautiously opened the letter, saw a bright red "A" under the subject, MATH, and rushed excitedly into their son's room! "Was it the teachers?" the father asked. The boy only shook his head and said, "No." "Was it the one-on-one tutoring? Peer-mentoring?" asked the mother. Again, the boy shrugged, "No." "The textbooks? The curriculum?" asked the father. "No, no, no." the son finally spoke. "From the very first day of school, I knew that these folks were serious about math. When I walked into the lobby, and I saw a guy nailed to the PLUS sign, I knew they meant business!"

The cross of Christ is "the" sign to the world that God meant business! And His business was that of salvation and forgiveness of sin. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16,17).

A popular Christian writer said concerning the cross, "It rests on the time line of history like a compelling diamond. . . History has idolized and despised it, gold plated and burned it, worn it and trashed it. History has done everything but ignore it." Christian, Atheist, Moslem, Buddhist, Agnostic, or Jew no matter what you believe the power of the cross lies in the fact that you must decide what you will do with it.

How important is the cross? The cross has a very special meaning to those who are in Christ. To us, the cross is neither a source of shame nor an offensive symbol. It is a symbol of grace, mercy and forgiveness. The cross is the promise of eternal life!

Salvation is based solely in the power of the cross. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). The idea of God in human form dying a criminal's death in such a heinous manner is foolishness to the majority of the world, but one day all men everywhere will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord!

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:5—11).

On the outskirts of London stands a prominent landmark in the form of a white cross. One day, in the heart of the city, a policeman heard a little boy crying. He found the little boy and asked him, "What's the matter? Can I help you?" The little boy replied, "I am lost." The officer said, "Well, don’t cry. We can fix that. Where do you live?" The little boy said, "If you will take me to the hill where the white cross stands, I can find my way home."

It’s as simple as that, THE WAY OF THE CROSS LEADS HOME!